Shake Shack, the famous burger chain from New York, has caused a stir in Mexico since its arrival in 2019. Before Grupo Gigante was able to bring the franchise to the country, at least 25 Mexican entrepreneurs had tried unsuccessfully. The perseverance of Grupo Gigante's founder, Angel Losada, was key to the success of the negotiations.
'I told him we are this, this, this from Grupo Gigante, we have restaurants, we have experience and good locations, I think we could make a good match,' Angel Losada shared about his first conversation with the founder of Shake Shack. Despite an initially discouraging response, the agreement was eventually reached to bring the franchise to Mexico.
On the day of the inauguration in Mexico City, Mexicans waited in line for hours, and some even camped out the night before to be the first to try Shake Shack's burgers. The opening broke records and became an iconic meeting point.
Angel Losada detailed the negotiation process and how his previous experience with PetCo in Mexico opened the doors for bringing Shake Shack to the country. Grupo Gigante, with a diverse portfolio that includes everything from restaurants to electronics stores, saw Shake Shack as an opportunity to continue expanding and diversifying its businesses.
The success of Shake Shack began in 2001 with a hot dog cart in Manhattan, which originally aimed to support local art. However, after becoming a culinary phenomenon, a permanent kiosk was established in 2004 and has since grown into a global icon of burgers.
